Beware of Greeks bearing gifts

In magnitude and complexity, this Utah wilderness deal sounds less like the Washington County bill than the San Rafael Swell land deal that melted down when exposed as a multimillion-dollar rip-off of the American public ("Red Rock Resolution?" HCN, 7/22/13). The legislative language swore up and down that no threatened and endangered species habitat, wetlands, sensitive lands, etc., would be traded out of public hands, and that the exchange would be of equal value. Thanks to BLM whistleblowers, those lies were exposed and the deal went up in smoke. I know it's been a long slog for SUWA, but any deal supported by Rob Bishop and the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration has got to carry devastating consequences for public lands and habitat.